


Oops...

by Bitrektual



Category: Doctor Who, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Teenlock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bitrektual/pseuds/Bitrektual
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor decides to take Sherlock and John on an adventure, but he makes a slight miscalculation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently I can't spell "oops". Typo should be fixed now.

"It's fantastic! Absolutely brilliant! You're gonna to love it," the Doctor, tenth regeneration, spoke in his usual quick and light-hearted tones. He had picked John up from work, sweeping the army doctor into the TARDIS before whizzing off to fetch Sherlock. "It takes you all the way up to the top of this tower, right, and you can see _all_ fifteen planets in _perfect_ alignment," the Doctor went on as the TARDIS came to another land and he quickly scrambled out the door, fetching the detective. Dragging Sherlock in, he skipped to the console and twisted a knob, setting them off again on a swirling, jumbling ride through the vortex. "It's a once in a lifetime chance, it _really_ is," he continued, pulling a couple of levers and sending the TARDIS flying off into space.

"Uhm... Doctor!" John's voice called out, but the Doctor's excited mind didn't register it as he continued talking about the place he was taking them to. Finally, he landed the TARDIS again and eased down her engines, grinning as he gave a delighted "ha!" before his attention was brought back to the present as John called out his name again. Turning around, he gaped in surprise at what he saw still standing by the door of the ship. Lean figure, dark curls, intelligent eyes. Unmistakably Sherlock. And unmistakably a teenager.

"Oops," the Doctor commented as Sherlock suddenly became weak in the knees now that the TARDIS had fallen still, and needed a moment to process what had just happened. John moved quickly to his side and held his arm in support, checking Sherlock's pulse and glaring at the Doctor. The Time Lord had pulled John from the right timeline, but somehow he'd accidentally taken Sherlock a few decades too early, and the teenager was clearly unsure how to take the suddenness of everything that had happened in so brief a space of time.

"Oops? What do you mean ' _oops_ '? Doctor, he's just a kid!" John exclaimed, rising to his feet and licking his lips irritably. But Sherlock appeared quick to recover as he suddenly rose to his feet and glared at John and the Doctor suspiciously. Taking a couple of steps back, he turned and quickly opened the doors, shutting them almost instantly. His back remained to them, but it was obvious by his increased breathing that he was working to cope with all he was seeing. Slowly, he turned and gazed stone-faced at the other two.

"Explain," the youth demanded in a surprisingly calm voice, his face suddenly void of colour. Clearly he'd just seen something that he couldn't deem possible in his mind. "Am I dreaming?" he asked a moment later, as both failed to offer an explanation quick enough for his impatience.

"Yes!" came John's quick answer.

"No," came the Doctor's response at almost the same moment.

"Yes," the Doctor quickly corrected, obviously trying to follow John's lead.

"No!" John restated, apparently having had the same idea.

"Well, clearly you're both idiots," Sherlock remarked, looking a bit unimpressed. John and the Doctor glared at each other before the Time Lord cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I'm the Doctor, and this is a Time Machine, and I'm afraid I've picked you up a bit early, so I'm just going to drop you off and-"

"Prove it," Sherlock insisted suddenly, cutting the Doctor off and startling both the inhabitants. John seemed lost for words, but the Doctor motioned towards the doors of the TARDIS, and Sherlock cautiously opened them. The outside world was dark, the sky full of planets off in the distance. Though the date was unknown, it was clear that the Doctor had not been lying, and Sherlock jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder, glancing over to see John watching him curiously.

"You all right?" John asked, fascinated at seeing his best friend as a teenager. Sherlock gave a nod and John chuckled, glancing out the doors of the TARDIS. "Took me awhile to get used to it," he went on, giving Sherlock's shoulder a squeeze although the boy tugged away from the touch after a moment. Still, he continued. "Don't worry. As long as I'm around, nothing bad will happen." It wasn't a promise he could keep for sure, but he made it nonetheless. Sherlock just stared. He didn't know how to react.


	2. Dreaming With My Eyes Open

"The Doctor's always doing things like this, but he means well enough. He's just... easily distracted in the head sometimes," John said, having just explained to Sherlock that the Doctor had intended to pull Sherlock from a different time period. The two were walking along a narrow hallway to explore the space station. It was designed for viewing a planet system of dazzling beauty, and both were nibbling on a bit of alien food that had been provided. Neither of them knew what it was, but it tasted delicious to both and so they ate.

"He's a bit odd," Sherlock noted, holding close to the man's side. He still wasn't sure who John was, as the Doctor had been quick to pull John aside and warn him against telling Sherlock the whole truth. Something about paradoxes, and so John acted as though he hadn't a clue who Sherlock was previously. "And I'm still not entirely sure I'm not dreaming," he added, making John chuckle, which in turn made the teenager smile.

"How old are you, Sherlock?" John asked as they finished their food and found a bin to toss it in, continuing walking at a casual pace as they conversed. Both were enjoying the others' company, and in no hurry to add anymore individuals.

"Seventeen," Sherlock replied, reaching out and letting his fingers trail along the wall. He was tall, almost as tall as he would be in adulthood. Just a couple more inches at most, John mused as he studied the thin frame before him. He was still in the awkward stage between boy and man, and though his body was sprouting handsomely, his face still held a youthfulness that was unmistakably the caterpillar before the butterfly.

A message blared over the speakers, and Sherlock flinched. He was uncomfortable with the strangeness and the noise and people. John seemed to notice this and wrapped a protective arm around the boy's shoulders, motioning him onward.

"Come on. Let's go back to the TARDIS. The Doctor can clean up whatever mess he's gotten himself into here, and we'll just wait there for him," John offered, and Sherlock smiled gratefully. He was growing rather fond of the man, and followed him willingly as they found the ship and she let them in. "There we go. Nice and quiet in here. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?" John asked as they settled comfortably around the console, and John prodded for information from the younger version of his best friend.

"Not much to tell," Sherlock said, shrugging as he sat down in the bench as and watched John with that piercing gaze that John was so used to. "I mean, I'm getting ready to enter University in a couple of weeks. Going in for chemistry, and maybe some business to please my brother," Sherlock explained, and John frowned thoughtfully.

"Why to please _him_? Isn't it your life?" John asked, and Sherlock chuckled dryly.

"I'm a _Holmes_ , and as a Holmes I have a duty to... Oh, I don't really remember. Something about not embarrassing the family or some cliche thing like that. I didn't pay attention to most of it," Sherlock said, laying down on the bench and staring at the ceiling. John was surprised at how willing Sherlock was to talk, but then it occurred to him that maybe this was before Sherlock had shut down so much emotionally. The thought gave him a pang of sorrow as he thought about how secretive the detective was now.

Lonely, John thought. That was what Sherlock was, now as he was then. Lonely...

"It'll be okay, Sherlock. I promise," John said suddenly, and Sherlock glanced at him, raising a brow inquisitively. "I mean, you know... whatever you decide to do in life. It'll be okay," John added, suddenly feeling foolish, but needing to reassure Sherlock that he wasn't alone. That someone approved of him and his decisions.

"Uhm... thanks, I guess?" Sherlock said haltingly, giving an awkward chuckle, unsure how to respond to John's kindness. Both fell into an uncomfortable silence. As time went on, however, the silence grew less uncomfortable, and more into a peaceful calm. John raised a brow in question, and Sherlock smiled as he shrugged.

"I still don't know if I'm dreaming or not," he said softly, "but I kind of hope I'm not. Because I really want you to be real..."


End file.
